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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. G. A. OANET.

' APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE LOADING OI GUNS.

No. 417,145. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. B. G, A. CANET.

APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THELOADING 0F GUNS. No. 417,145. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' J. B. G; A. (JANET.

APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE LOADING 0F GUNS.

No. 417,145. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

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v J. B. G. A. (JANET. APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE LOADING 0F GUNS.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JEAN BAPTISTE lUSTAYE ADOLPHE OANET, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SIR JOSEPH \YHITIVORTII & t OhlPANY, (LIHITEDQ OPENSI-IAIV, ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,145, dated December 10, 1889.

I Application filed January 5, 1889. Serial No. 295,538. (No model.) Patented in France September 4, 1883, No. 157,389, and in England July 1,1887,N0.9,375.

157,389, bearing date September l, 1883,) of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the loading of guns, and is chiefly designed to afford the means whereby the loading of a gun mounted upon a rotating platform or turn-table may be effected in any position to which the gun may be trained or while it is being trained. For this purpose I. employ a lever which is pivoted to the said platform or turn-table in such a manner that it can be turned upon its pivot in a vertical plane passing'through the longitudinal axis of the gun. The free end of this lever is adapted to receive a projectile or powdercharge, and suitable means are provided for turning the said lever about its pivot and thus raising the said projectile or powdercharge into position behind the breech of the gun and in line with the bore thereof, so that it can be rammed therein by hand or by any suit-able mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure l is a plan illustratin g one form of my improved apparatus, part of the hand-rail being removed to show moreclearly the parts beneath it; Fig. 2, a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal central section; and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. at is a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section, showing the charge-elevatin g lever in the position to which it is raised to permit the ramming of the projectile into the gun; and Fig. 5 is a side ele vation, part-1y in vertical longitudinal section, illustrating another form or modification of my improved apparatus.

A is the base-plate or racer and center pivot; B, the rotating platform or turn-table.

C is a rocking lever, which is fixed upon a shaft t", supported in bearings formed or fixed on the said platform or turn-table.

D is a charge-carrier or cradle which is jointed or pivoted at D to the extremity of the lever C.

A cam E is fixed'upon the shaft 0, and is arranged in combination with a chain F, connected with a rod G, which acts upon and is acted upon by a so-called Belleville Spring H or other suitable spring incased in a box J, which is pivoted at its rear end J to the turntable or under carriage. The spring H is designed, in connection with the cam E, to counterbalance the lever O and carrier D, and thus equalize, or tend to equalize, the force 5 required for raising and. lowering them by resistin g their descent and diminishing the resistance to their ascent, so that when a charge or projectile is in the carrier-D the resistance to be overcome in raising the-said carrier will be only that due to the weight of the said charge or projectile. The cam E is, moreover, so formed that in the descent of the lever C the chain F will be wound thereon and the spring II thus compressed, and as the lever descends the mechanical advantage afforded by the cam in favor of the spring will be increased.

Motion is imparted to the shaft C by means .of a shaft K, provided with a crank or handle K and having fixed thereon a pinion L, Figs. 1 to a, or a worm M, Fig. 5, which pinion or worm is geared with a toothed segment N, fixed on the said shaft 0 or the shaft C is provided with other suitable means for oper- 8 5 ating it.

P is a strap fitted with a wooden block I upon which the lever C rests when in its lowermost position.

I can, if desired, employ in place of the spring II a counter-weight or other suitable means for counterbalancing the rockinglever C, for the purpose above specified.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination of a rocking arm or 10- ver carried by the platform or turn-table of a gun-mounting and arranged to be moved in a vertical plane extending through the longitudinal axis ol the-gun, and a eharge-earrier l ing, an arm or lever fixed on the said shal't,a

or cradle secured to the free end of the said 1 arm or lever, so that the said carrieroreradle i a connterbalancing-spring, and a chain connectcd at one end. with and arranged to be when lowered will be in a convenient position outside the mounting to receive the projectile or powder-charge, but when raised will support the said projectile or powder-charge in line with the bore of the gun, sulistantiallv as and for the purpose above specilied.

2. The combination of a rocking lever C, pivoted to the platform or turn-table of a gunmounting and arranged tobe moved in a vertical plane extending through the longitudinal axis of the gun, and a charge-carrier or cradle D, secured to the free end of the said arm or lever, so that when lowered it will be suspended in a convenient position outside the mounting to receive a projectile or powder-charge, but when raised it will support the said projectile or powtiler-charge in the loading position behind the breech of the gun, substantially as and for the purpose aliove specified.

3. The coniibination, ith a gun-mounting, of a rock-shaft carried thereby, an arm or lever O, fixed upon the said shaft, and a charge-carrier or cradle D, secured to the free end of the said arm or lever, substantially as and for the purpose above set forth.

4. The combination, with a rocking arm or lever C, carried by the platform or turn-table of a gun-mounting, and a charge-carrier or cradle I), secured to the said arm or lever, of a spring or its equivalent for counterbalancing the said lever and cradle, substantially as charge-earrier or cradle secured to the said arm or le\'er,'a. cam lixed upon the said shaft,

wound upon the said cam and connected at its other end with the said spring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

(3. The combination of a rock-shaft 0', carried by the platform or turn-table of a gunmounting, an arm or lever (l, fixed on the said shaft, a charge-carrier or cradle D, secured to the said arm orlcver, a toothed segment. N, fixed on the said shaft 0', and a shaft K, provided with a crank-handle and geared with the said toothed segment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a rock-shaft carried by the platform. or turntable of a gunmounting, an arm or lever C, lixed on the said shaft, a charge-carrier or cradle l), secured to the said arm or lever, a cam E, fixed on the said shaft, a counterbalaueiugspring ll, a

chain F, connected atone end with and ar ranged to be wound upon the said cam and connected at the other end with the said spring, a toothed segment N, fixed on the said shaft t", and a shaft K, provided with a crankhandle and geared with the said toothed segment, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 

